


Fluffy Blue Stripes

by theauthenticme



Series: Topaz-Blossom Family fics with Layla [5]
Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Angst, Choni are moms, F/F, Fluff, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Juniper - Freeform, Juniper is 16, Juniper is a teenager, Soft Toni, TW for what they talk about, Teenagers, Toni is an awesome aunt, choni, choni are aunts, soft choni, trigger warning
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-02-01
Updated: 2020-02-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 19:22:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,032
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22510918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theauthenticme/pseuds/theauthenticme
Summary: Teenage Juniper Blossom goes to visit her favorite aunt Toni, something weighing heavy on her mind.
Relationships: Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Series: Topaz-Blossom Family fics with Layla [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1558174
Comments: 10
Kudos: 77





	Fluffy Blue Stripes

**Author's Note:**

> I feel like I haven’t published anything doe ages!
> 
> This is a little fluffy angst between Toni and Juniper (with some Cheryl and Layla too!) 
> 
> Trigger warning for what Toni and Juniper talk about, it does get a little heavy. 
> 
> As always, I must write a personal note of thanks to Katherine for her ongoing advice and support. I am and will always be eternally grateful to you ♥️

“Aunt Toni!” a 16 year old Juniper threw her arms around Toni with force the second the front door was opened, hugging her so tightly that Toni was almost pushed backwards.

“Hey Juni..” Toni hummed, wrapping her arms around her niece. “This is a nice surprise. I wasn’t expecting to see you till next week..”

“I missed you..” she mumbled into Toni’s shoulder, still hugging her tightly. 

“Apparently you missed me a whole lot..” she chuckled, Juniper still not letting go.

“Something like that..” she sniffled, her shoulders shaking slightly.

“Hey..hey now...what’s all this for?” she pulled back, wiping Juniper’s tears with her thumbs.

“Just missed you a whole lot..” she sniffled again.

“Cher won’t be back for a while yet, she’s taken Layla Christmas shopping so it’s just you and me kiddo..” Cheryl and their daughter Layla always loves to go out and buy Toni’s gifts a few weeks before Christmas. 

Juniper seemed content with this. “Can you make me some of your special hot chocolate? With the marshmallows?” she added hopefully.

“Anything for my not-so little June bug..” she smiled, wrapping an arm around her shoulders. “Why don’t you go get comfy on the couch. Your favorite stripy blanket is on the back of the couch and the fire’s lit. You pick us something to watch on Netflix and I’ll go make those drinks. How’s that sound?”

“Perfect, thank you T..”

Toni busied herself in the kitchen, before carefully carrying the two drinks through to the living room. “Did you pick something on Netflix?” she asked, noticing the screen was still blank.

“Oh..uh..I guess I forgot, sorry..” she blushed in embarrassment.

“No problem..” Toni narrowed her eyes, trying to work out exactly what was going on with her niece.

She placed their drinks on the coffee table, sitting down on the couch beside Juniper.

She held her arm out for Juniper, who immediately moved towards her, burying herself against Toni’s side.

“Aunt Toni?” her voice was small as she addressed her aunt.

“Uhuh?” her ran her fingers through Juniper’s hair.

“Can...I mean..I..just wondered if..”

Toni gave her some time, not wanting to rush her.

“Can I maybe..come stay..here. For a while?”

“Of course. You know Cheryl and I have always said you’ll always have a home here. You and your brother..”

“But..Christmas and the holidays are coming up. I don’t want to be in the way.”

“Juni- you could never be in the way. We love having you here..”

“Thank you..” she repositioned herself so that her head was on Toni’s lap, her favorite fluffy, baby blue striped blanket pulled up around her body.

“You tired sweetie?” Toni rubbed her back softly.

“Mhmm” she nodded with a yawn. 

“Have you not been sleeping?”

“Uh..I guess I’ve not been sleeping so well...”

“Any reason why?” Toni felt Juniper tense.

“Not really..” she trailed off quietly.

“You sure about that?”

“Mhmm..” she nodded, her eyes closed as she laid comfortably with her head nestled in Toni’s lap.

“Because you know..” Toni let her hand fall into Juniper’s hair again, her fingers running through it gently. “If there was anything bothering you, there’s nothing you can’t talk to me about alright?”

“Nothing?” she whispered.

“You can tell me anything sweetie..”

“That’s what you’ve always said to me and Dag when we were growing up” she remembered fondly.

“The same will apply for the rest of your life. As long as i’m around, you can always come to me with anything. I’ll always be here to listen and help.”

“That means so much to me Toni” she couldn’t hide her tears, using the corner of the blanket to wipe her eyes.

“Don’t cry honey” Toni hated to see her niece anything less than happy and smiling.

“Wh..when can I come stay? If you need to talk it over with Cheryl first, I completely understand.”

“I don’t need to talk it over, you can stay as soon as you want to. Of course I _will_ talk to Cheryl when she’s home, but she’ll want you here as much as I do.”

“That makes me feel better. Would you come with me to get my stuff?”

“Do you want me to help you talk to your mom?”

Juniper shook her head. “She won’t be there. She works real late so it would probably just be..him.”

“Him as in Dagwood?”

Juniper shook her head. “He stays with his friends more than he’s home.”

“Who then?” Toni was confused.

“Dean.”

“I’m aware this is going to make me sound stupid, but who the hell is Dean?”

“Mom’s boyfriend..”

“Oh?” Toni’s eyes widened. Juniper had never mentioned a boyfriend before. “And he’s living at your house?”

“I guess..” she shrugged non commitedly.

”Does Dean make you uncomfortable?” Toni asked, sensing her niece’s apprehension.

“What? No, no of course not..” she was defensive. “Why would you ask that?”

“I simply wondered if Dean being there had impacted on your decision to want to stay with us.”

“You’re the therapist, you tell me..” she sassed. 

Toni’s eyes widened, Juniper never spoke to her like that. Not that Toni was taking it to heart, she could see that Juniper was clearly more than a little anxious about things and seemingly didn’t know how to express that very well.

“Okay then..” Toni’s voice was just as calm as ever. “It seems to me that even _talking_ about Dean is putting you on edge. Do you think that’s a fair assumption?”

Juniper shrugged, tears welling in her eyes again as she swallowed thickly, trying not to cry. “I guess he is kinda creepy..” she mumbled.

“Creepy how?” Toni pushed gently. They seemed to be getting somewhere now. 

“Just the way he looks at me..or the things he says sometimes. I push my dresser up in front of my door just...incase..”

“Incase...” Toni willed her to continue.

“Incase he comes in again..” 

“Again?” Alarm bells were ringing in Toni’s head. 

Juniper buried her face in her hands, the words seemingly stuck in her throat. 

“You’re okay...you’re safe..” Toni comforted, gently prying her hands away. “Try and keep talking to me honey..”

“One night, he came in when mom was still at work. Claimed he was ‘checking’ on me” she almost spat, a feeling of revulsion rising in her stomach. “I woke up and he was just..there..”

“What happened then?” Toni feared the answer, but knew she had to ask. 

“He didn’t _do_ anything if that’s what you’re worried about. I told him I was fine and he needed to leave.. he did eventually and I’ve been using my dresser every night since.”

“How long ago was that Juni?”

“A couple weeks ago..”

Toni felt her heart clench, hating that this had been worrying her niece for weeks. 

“Thank you for trusting me. I know sometimes these sort of things can be difficult to talk about, but you did so well. I have a few things I’d like to ask though if you’re okay with that?”

Juniper nodded mutely.

“Has Dean ever..” she paused, wanting to phrase it right. “Has there ever been any occasion when Dean has done anything more than make you _feel_ uncomfortable?”

“You mean like, touched me? No..” she shook her head resolutely. “But after he came into my room that time, I don’t sleep very well, even with the dresser there.”

“That’s understandable. Everyone had the right to feel safe in their own home.”

“I definitely don’t right now. Every time I go home I’m anxious about whether he’s going to be there or not, what room he’s in and whether he might try anything..” she mumbled the last part.

“That’s a lot to be worrying about every time you come home.”

“and I don’t want to worry about all that anymore.”

“I understand.” She said quietly. “Why don’t we go over now and get your stuff? I think we’re going to need to talk to Polly about this too..” 

Juniper nodded. “I don’t think she’ll like it”

“Maybe she won’t. But my main priority here is you feeling and being safe and that is what she needs to support.”

“She’s not there at the moment, she’ll be at work.”

“I think that’s probably a good thing right now. Let’s go get whatever you need and then Cheryl and I can talk to Polly later. Maybe your aunt Betty too.”

Juniper nodded. “Thanks so much for this Toni. You’re the best aunt a girl could ask for” she hugged her again, kissing her cheek. “I love you.”

“And I love you too.”

.....

“Toni?” Cheryl called out as she arrived home with Layla. She was unexpectedly greeted by a sea of bags in the hallway. 

“Are you going somewhere?” A brief moment of panic ran through Cheryl. Was Toni leaving her? Surely not. Everything was fine between them, wasn’t it?!

Layla slipped off to the living room in search of her mother. “JUNIIIIIII” Cheryl heard Layla cry out, following behind her.

Juni? Was Juniper there?

“This is a nice surprise” Cheryl grinned when she saw that yes indeed, her niece was there. Juniper was cuddled up on the couch with Toni, Toni’s arms wrapped around her. “Hi aunt Cheryl. Hey Layla.” 

“Hi sweetheart”

Cheryl gave her niece’s shoulder an affectionate squeeze as she leaned down to kiss her forehead. “Is everything okay?” Cheryl immediately picked up on the somber mood.

“Why don’t we go talk elsewhere babe?” Toni suggested, unwrapping her arms from around Juniper. “Looks like someone has missed you..” Layla was already climbing up onto the couch, plonking herself right down on Juniper’s lap. “Hi Juni..” she grinned, squeezing her cheeks between her tiny hands. “I missed you.”

....

“We need to talk to Polly” Cheryl fumed after Toni had filled her in on the current situation.

“We absolutely do” Toni agreed calmly. “But right now, our focus needs to be on Juniper, she’s pretty anxious about everything.” 

“Of course” Cheryl agreed. “What’s the plan?”

“I’ve text Polly to explain briefly and asked her to call us when she can.”

“That sounds good, thank you my love..” Cheryl wrapped her arms around Toni as she tugged them both back to the living room to see Juniper. 

“Toni told me what’s been going on..” Cheryl sat carefully beside Juniper, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as Toni sat on the other side of her. 

“Are you mad at me?” she whispered anxiously, Layla climbing from her lap into Toni’s to greet her mama.

“What? No sweetie..not at all okay? I’m glad you told Toni. And you know you can stay with us as long as you like right?”

“Are you sure?”

“Completely..” 

“Thank you..” she sniffled.

“Why is Juni crying?” Layla watched anxiously from Toni’s lap. 

“I’m okay Lay..” Juniper promised. “I am just grateful that you have the two best mommies in the world. My favorite aunts. Period.”

“Juniper is going to be staying with us for a while. How awesome is that?” Toni enthused. 

“Like a sleepover?” Layla bounced excitedly on Toni’s lap.

“Yep. I can read you a bedtime story every night if you want, just like your mommies used to do for me when I was little.”

“Yes please, I love stories” Layla smiled, leaning over to hug Juniper over the blanket she had over herself. “My mommies telled me that blanket is your favorite. Why is it?”

”it’s really soft and it’s pretty colors. when I’m wrapped in it, it reminds me how your moms used to wrap me in it when I was small. And we used it to make dens or snuggle under for a movie.” 

“What do you say we have some popcorn and watch a movie together?”

This was the sort of thing Juniper has missed. Simple family time spend with those that made her feel safe and secure.

She was still anxious about what her mother would say when she found out, or what the next few weeks and months of her life would look like. 

For tonight however, surrounded by those she loved most, she was content, and _that_ was enough for now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! I currently have no plans to continue this one, if was a mere snippet into their lives.
> 
> I would like to write more with teenage Juniper though, so let me know any suggestions you have for anything further you’d like to read. 
> 
> Come chat to me on Twitter on: theauthenticme2


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